An Imperfect Friend
by Parfois Marguerite
Summary: After returning from Xing, Catherine Armstrong finds that her home in Central isn't the same since the Promised Day. Though she would have never had guessed that one peculiar little lizard would be the most drastic change of all. Then again, purple eyed lizards with the strange ability to talk were certainly not an everyday occurrence.
1. Chapter 1

**So this was written as a gift fic for Holioc on Tumblr for a secret Santa Exchange. I had meant it to be much different at first but changed it gradually as I went on in the past month. I will admit that the entire thing is rather canon divergent (for the obvious reasons). On Tumblr it will appear as two parts but on I expect it to come in a few chapters so its much more of a short story.**

 **Hope you all like it!**

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It was strange how much could change in such a little amount of time. Not even gone for more than a year and the entire state of Amestris had become so much different than Catherine Armstrong could remember. Though its mountains and cities remained physically the same, with the expectation of a few still destroyed buildings in Central City, the entire atmosphere of the area had been completely warped.

Though, she had to admit, warped in a rather good way. For even though so many had perished in the pursuit that occurred little over a few months ago, her family seemed a lot more connected. Her brother stood a little bit taller, her eldest sister a little bit happier. It was certainly a wonderful welcome back gift!

Though she had to admit that there was one thing off about coming home that frustrated the youngest Armstrong. She hadn't even realized it until now, the second day after returning, that there was something wrong with her family garden.

If home had sustained any damage during the battle, Catherine wouldn't have been able to tell. It, like most of the city, looked good as new. So with that said, she couldn't fathom why some of her favorite flowers laid dead and pulled apart.

In a little shaded pocket, off in the far corner of the estate, resided the remains of a collection of anenomes, begonias, and marigolds. The clash of purples, yellows, and pinks once had the staff consider getting rid of the entire plot and replacing them with more cherry blossoms. Had it not been for Catherine herself, those poor flowers would have died an earlier death.

It was now, as she kneeled down to inspect the flattened stalks and chewed petals that she realized that these flowers had only recently ended up this way. Furthermore, given the state of those already effected, something living had caused it.

The little blonde thought nothing of the dirt that seeped into the white lace of her blue summer dress. Her hands felt chalky as dirt began to seep into her gardening gloves, she raked through the ground searching for some sort of clue, maybe even a few snails or bugs. Occasionally she would shift up rocks and a few torn petals.

"Miss Catherine?!" She flinched at the sound of her name being called from across the garden. It was obviously one of the servants, one that she had nearly forgotten existed since her visit to Xing. Having been out on the grounds for what felt like only a few moments, she concluded that someone in her family was looking for her as well.

Rather than scream back her location, Catherine raised her left hand up in the air. The other one continued about its task of combing the dirt. Though it became apparent, as she yanked up another set of twigs and plant parts, that this was a mystery better left answered by the people her father paid to tend the garden in the first place.

Her pale, pink lips dropped at the realization while the right arm went limp in the ground. "They were such pretty flowers too."

A rustle of the leaves in front of her was followed quickly by what sounded strangely like a quiet snicker. Her head bobbed up immediately, her eyes trying to land on a person. She was at the tail end of the manor, close to someone else's property, surely someone from another area had made such a rude sound. No one who worked for the Armstrong's would have done it. Yet beyond the gate line was no one, not even a sign that someone had even been there recently. Nothing laid before her.

Expect for a peculiar little lizard. One that was barely held up by the flower it was standing on. She almost went a little cross-eyed staring at its strange form. With two eyes close to the center like a flounder, and a mouth that ran vertical rather than horizontal, it was quite the little freak of nature.

Mesmerized, Catherine could only stare as the lizards sat unmoving, almost petrified by her. Slowly the hand that had been in the dirt raised itself up and prodded the little guy with a simple poke of her index finger.

It screamed. Or rather hissed in a non-menacing way (though it seemed like it tried to). Stumbling backwards from her knees and plopping down on to her bottom, Catherine could only gasp at it. Looking up towards the lizard, she began to notice just how oddly shaped it was, with several more arms then it should have.

After taking a few breaths, and observing a lack of movement from the creature, she sat back up onto her knees. While it made quite a sound, it was still a small animal. Nothing that an Armstrong should fear.

"What a strange little creature," she mused. "I wonder if one of the servants would know what you are." If animals could look peeved off, this one certainly did. Tapping her chin, the little blonde began to wonder further. "Or maybe Alex might know."

The flower underneath the lizard shook along with its movements. Without even making another sound, the creature jumped off from its pedestal and into the mix of chewed flowers. Catherine could have sworn that its already bulging eyes had widened by her last response.

On instinct her hands reached forward onto the ground in front of her. They clasped themselves together by the tips, effectively ensnaring the lizard's tail against her palms. She could see the top of its head through her hand. She noted how the creature's teeth looked even sharper now that it was snarling at her.

She dropped it quickly before it could sink its teeth into her gloves. Landing on the ground with a light thump, the creature looked rather dazed and confused from the impact. Using the moment to her advantage, Catherine scanned the area for something to capture the strange little lizard in. One hand moved to comb through her hair before noticing the white sun hat on top of her head.

"Ah-hah!" Before the creature could stand back up onto its legs, she grabbed it up by its tail. The hat on her head was taken off with a swoosh as the cap now faced downwards. The lizard was let go once again but this time it fell into the crevice of the hat. Both of her hands pinched the sides of it together as to not let the creature crawl out.

The hat bobbled in ever which direction as the creature desperately tried to fight its way out. For a moment the young Armstrong felt rather bad for the little lizard. Taking the poor thing away from his home and a possible family seemed rather cruel. Besides, what had the tiny thing ever done to her?

. . .

One of the maids found her as she was walking down the pathway back to the manor. Dirt lined the bottom of her dress, only a small attempt was made to pat it off. It appeared, as she came closer, that the white hat clenched in her hand was moving in a strange way. The servant curtly bowed at the youngest Armstrong once she was in close proximity.

"Miss Armstrong, your mother wished for me to inform you that your eldest sister will be returning back to North earlier than expected." At the end of her sentence, the young woman rose to look her masters' daughter in the eyes. To Catherine she wasn't much different than the others who worked here. With short brunette hair, falling slightly curled by her shoulders, the only noticeable thing about her was the piercing blue eyes.

She blinked and pushed the hat in her hands further behind her. "Really? How much earlier?"

"Today, I'm afraid, there seems to be some pressing matters to attend." The maid kept a rather neutral tone, one lined with a pleasant air. "Both your parents are speaking to her right now, actually. I'm sorry to say that she doesn't plan to stay long after that."

Catherine swayed on her heels for a moment and felt the little creature jingle around. As much as she loved her family, it wasn't as if Olivier lived with them (or even visited them that much). Her sisters leaving didn't necessarily stir any large feelings, only indifference. If anything, this was only another step towards normality. Back to a time before the Promised day.

"Does Alex know then?"

Nodding, the woman couldn't help but stare towards the hat poking out from behind her. "I believe he already spoke to her back at Central command." There was a pause. "If you go now, you can say goodbye."

"I would but," part of her wanted to say that it wouldn't matter to her eldest sister if she did say goodbye, it wasn't as if Olivier particularly had a large interest in her. A bump against the small of her back reminded her of her current predicament. "I wanted to see if anyone knew anything about lizards in this area?"

The maid took a step back, her eyes narrowing in confusion at the youngest Armstrong for only a moment before regaining her composure. "Lizards? Why do you want to know about lizards?"

The youngest Armstrongs' cheeks reddened, embarrassed by the strangeness of her question. "Well you see I wanted to know specifically about this type of lizard." Pushing her hands forwards, Catherine released her grasp on the hat slightly, allowing the maid to gaze down at the little creature angrily moving about the bottom.

Once the maid got a good look, as evident by the way she took a step back, the little opening was once again closed. "I've never seen an animal like that before."

"Do you think anyone around here might know about it?"

"Maybe one of the gardeners has seen it before but . . ." Her eyes remained on the white hat, unable to look Catherine in the eye. "In all honesty, Miss Armstrong, that thing looks more like its defected then a new species."

The fighting within the hat stopped quite suddenly, the only movement the blonde felt was that of the little thing slumping down its prison walls and into the very bottom. "What do you mean?" She asked innocently.

"I mean that it might have been born wrong, with so many legs and the length of its mouth . . . it just doesn't seem to belong to any normal species of lizard."

"Oh the poor thing!" Her blue eyes welled up a bit as panic spread across the face of her servant.

"I-I'm sure it's okay ma'am, if it's lived this long then surely its defects aren't causing it any pain."

Wiping her eyes of any glossiness, her lips continued to drop downwards. "It must be lonely though, to be so different from everyone else."

The servant really didn't know what to say to her, it would like awfully bad if she had upset the youngest of the family. "Out of curiosity, did you catch it in an attempt to keep it?"

She could feel the little creature moving about once again, frantically biting against the fibers. "Well no, not at first . . ."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as most of Catherine's attention went to her captive. "I believe your sister Amue's pet's snakes' tank is still in the basement." She coughed, "if you wanted to keep it in your room."

She didn't say anything in that moment. One hand went to comb gently through her hair, the other keeping a firm lock on her hat, as she contemplated keeping the little thing. Though it wouldn't be her first pet, it would certainly be one of her smallest. Most of the animals she kept tended to range from horses to cats, nothing that required a tank to keep them in.

"Do you think it would be okay like that?"

The servant smiled brightly at her, "Of course it will!" Without even noticing it, the hat in Catherine's hands was passed into that of the maids. "In fact, I'm sure you'll give it a better home then anything it's ever had."


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize if this chapter feels rather short and slow. I've been meaning to update and I've been going back and forth between what route I should take this story. Hopefully it's still enjoyable!**

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It wasn't long after her eldest sister's departure that Alex started to work longer hours at Central Command. She didn't ask why that was but guessed that they may have become shorthanded in officers. When he did come home it was usually in the later hours of the evening, a time that she often would already be in bed herself.

Her other sisters, Amue and Strongine, had already been gone for some time. Amue was travelling somewhere down south for her own pleasure and Strongine apparently had found herself a new boyfriend. One her mother described as being rather familiar (and somewhat scrawny).

It then went without saying that life at home had suddenly become quite dull. Or at least dull in the sense that those who she used to talk to were gone. The servants were still there of course, but they're jobs weren't to entertain her. Or at least not entertain her for extended periods of time.

It was for that reason that Catherine suddenly found herself spending more time with her smallest, and frankly meanest, pet. Something that no one at the Armstrong manor seemed to get. For the little thing sure was dramatic.

The first few days had been the hardest for itself and the youngest Armstrong. If it wasn't for the reassurance of the staff, she would have let them back into the cold world a long time ago. Any doubts she may have had from the beginning were just starting to fade. She no longer believed the strange and somewhat human looks it gave her to mean anything. In the end, her new friend couldn't possibly be capable of such complex feelings.

At the moment it was raining out. Something that seemed to happen quite often since putting up the glass tank in her room. She might have gone outside more if that wasn't the case. With little to do, the youngest Armstrong found herself becoming more and more secluded within her room.

While it was large, much larger than a girl her age needed, it lacked an abundance of material possessions. Once upon a time, at a much younger age, all the newest toys had nearly overflowed out of every box and crevice in the area. Lavish gifts from her family, especially her big brother, were always accepted politely.

But now at slightly more mature age, Catherine had only really kept a fraction of her childhood toys. What existed in her room other than the essentials were a couple short and stout bookshelves, heavily filled to the brim with whatever she could take from the family library.

In one corner of the rom, a couple pillows against the headboard of Catherine's bed kept her sitting upright while her knees brought an open book within close proximity to her mesmerized eyes. While she couldn't see it, despite the large tank being only adjacent from her bed, her little pet was also reading with such an intensity.

Or rather squinting harshly and attempting to see the cover. She might have laughed at such weird sight if she had glanced towards them. They stood upright on their hind legs and closely pressed themselves against the glass, so much so that it resembled a child smashing its face against a department store window. Their thin red lips appeared thicker through the glass while their eyes seemed to bulge out like a pair of cheap googly eyes.

Eventually the lizard grew impatient and started moving against the glass. Their teeth made such a grating sound that the book in Catherine's hands fell immediately onto the sheets. The creature turned its head away from the girl, opting to press its back against the glass, as the book slid slowly onto the ground with a plop. They couldn't tell what face she was making, not like they ever cared, but imagined her lips sagging down with the line of her gaze. She often looked like that when their little outbursts started up. Unfortunately they couldn't stir just enough negative feelings within her to secure their ticket back outside.

What lied before the creature, now facing towards the rest of their 'home', was a sizeable area meant to impersonate the grounds of a forest. While most of the dirt, near black in color, was moist for the most part, the few rocks residing within the tank were rather warm. Whether they were mechanically meant to be that temperature or just a factor from the lamp above them, the lizard did not care. Not like they required a warm, lit environment. Leaves of all colors and states of decay were littered about in the corners of the tank. Every now and again Catherine would come back from being outside and leave fresh ones against the edges of the glass. They were the only thing, other than food, that the lizard accepted from her.

There was a swishing sound, a familiar clash of skin on fabric that brought their attention back to the youngest Armstrong. They guessed Catherine had moved to pick the book back up from the ground and resume her previous activities, this time with a tad less enthusiasm. The echoed tapping of feet made them guess again and for a moment the little creature was inclined to turn around.

With her left index finger, Catherine knocked onto the edge of tank. She knew that they didn't enjoy such a nuisance so close to their head. Regardless, they didn't move. Though, when did the little creature ever do what she asked? There was an uncomfortable silence and the lizard was quite sure should we leave this time.

"Sorry If I've disturbed you," they blinked. When did this girl ever talk to them as if they were a person? In the brief time they had been together, she had remained rather silent and only spoke _of_ them not _to_ them. "You just look . . . really unhappy."

Part of them wanted to believe that this girl was beginning to understand. Another part knew that truly knowing and understanding them would only lead to their complete demise. One they had barely escaped only a few months ago.

Eventually the little lizard did give her a reply. Not a human one of course. Just a simple flick of their tale, one that kicked up a waft dirt from their habitat. Not turning around, they fell back down onto their hands (or rather various legs), stretched out, and crawled their way under a mess of fake branches. It didn't take an expert to tell the youngest Armstrong that they weren't happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Forgive me for how long this took. I wanted to take a step back from the Envy and Catherine interaction and got stuck with the dialogue in this chapter. Hopefully things will get a little easier as the plot progresses.

It had taken almost a week for the rain to finally let up in Central. With no more clouds in site, Catherine had politely taken the opportunity to go walking amongst some of the busier city streets. One of the servants, a girl not too far off from her age, came in attendance. While she always had the option to go out alone (within reason of course), the youngest Armstrong simply preferred the company. Though, nice as the maids are, they didn't not compare to a pleasant afternoon with Alex or one of her sisters.

"Are you looking for something, miss?" Pale eyelids blinked rapidly at the sudden sound and reawakened Catherine. Had she been staring out into the distance again?

"No, no, I . . ." The words died off in her throat. Her companion didn't attempt to press the matter further. What was the point of being out here if she wasn't looking for anything specific?

Her teeth grazed and ground lightly against the inside of mouth, just below her lips. A little more pressure and she would find herself biting the soft, numb layer of skin. The little pain she might feel if she bit off a small scrap of herself would be easily ignored. She was far too preoccupied with a new onslaught of anxious thoughts to care about physical feelings. She wondered if the servant realized how much Catherine was wasting time on pointless errands.

What if, underneath the welcoming smile that adorned all of the Armstrong staff, was a cascading storm of malicious thoughts? So much so that each compliment, smile, and general pleasantness directed towards Catherine was followed with such a boiling hatred that it could be felt physically. The thought of her existence being the equivalent of painful stones building up within this servant's chest surged back and forth through her head.

"I think it might be best if . . . I mean, I think it's time to go home." There was a short, piercing feeling within her cheeks followed by the sudden taste of iron. Her teeth had clamped down too hard in an effort to prevent the words 'sorry for wasting your time' from coming out of her mouth. She knew well that the servant would blink and quickly, without fail, reply with 'oh ma'am it wasn't a waste of time, don't say that' thinking internally how whiny Catherine Armstrong sounded.

"Oh," The plain maid gazed towards the near empty bag containing nothing more than a full pocket book. "Very well, then."

By now the delightful colors of the season that Catherine had been so excited to be a part of this morning had faded into the background of the blur of people walking amongst them. It was disappointing how something so exciting lasted so briefly.

Catherine watched the servant's medium brown hair bob up and down with each step taken. There was so much to look at, so many faces to see, but to her these foreign things seemed too distant and unfamiliar to matter.

So when her eyes caught sight of something, a figure out across the street that clashed against everything that she didn't know, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait," The volume in her voice surprised not only Catherine but the woman in front of her. It might not have been much compared to the other more distinguishable members of her family but coming from her, it was.

"Is there something wrong miss?" A sense of urgency could be seen and heard from the companion.

Catherine outstretched her arms automatically, attempting to calm the other's nerves. "It's nothing to worry about, I just saw someone that I know." She looked away from noticing the others gaze. "That's all."

"I see," the servant drew out, scanning the people across the street. "Do you want to say hi?"

Catherine didn't respond. Things had been different the last time she had saw the other person. While her life might not have been altered too seriously since then, she knew that his had. Besides, even before all this, he had left her presence in a rather disappointed mood. Maybe, if Alex had been with her, she might ha—

"Come along, miss." Catherine gasped inaudibly as the other women pressed a small amount of pressure onto her back, guiding her into the now motionless street. A red light had stopped traffic and now she, along with nameless others, flooded the street in an attempt to switch sides.

Her heart fluttered slightly as the two of them came within distance of a small outdoor café. The person in questions, who Catherine hoped noticed her before she would be forced to make an introduction, sat around a smallish table. There were two others with him, ones who she faintly recognized as well. Though, their uniforms were more familiar to her then their faces.

The only female member of their little party noticed Catherine before the other two could. The man from before might have seen before his comrade if he had not been positioned away from the youngest Armstrong. The servant and herself stood motionless, a little over a couple feet away from the table, as the woman gestured to the both of them, alerting the other two of their presence.

Catherine's eyes looked slightly downwards, attempting to hide any unneeded nervousness.

"It's nice to see you again, Lieutenant Havoc." The smile that lit up on his face did little to calm her worries on approaching him. At the very least it was apparent that he remembered her, making approaching the group somewhat reasonable of an action.

"The same goes for you Miss Armstrong." There was a nasty scrapping noise as he pushed his chair out. Catherine's throat began to dry up as he attempted to stand up in ample time. It was obvious from the way his legs shook under his weight and way he held his back that total recovery was still a bit far off. She wished she had told him, or at least gestured to him, that standing for her was unnecessary. A feeling of guilt washed over her body, wondering why she had to bother a man who simply wanted a nice lunch with friends.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced," there was another scrap as the only woman stood up seconds before the other man of their group. "I'm First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." Catherine smiled at her before glancing towards the last unnamed member.

"Sergeant Major Kain Fuery," out of the three, this last man appeared the youngest. "It's nice to meet you Miss Armstrong."

"Please," with her voice slightly hushed and her cheeks becoming a shade pinker, the young woman looked away. "Call me Catherine."

. . .

Catherine Armstrong had left her house wanting to get a bit a fresh air. It had been such a long time since she had roamed the streets of Central. She also guessed that some alone time might do her little pet some good. Maybe, after all this time, the poor thing was beginning to feel smothered with her intrusive presence.

Now, barely two hours into her little journey, Catherine somehow had found herself as an unexpected guest at a quaint café. A little place, she realized, that was only a few blocks away from headquarters. Her companion had been offered a seat at the table as well. Though, seeing how crowded their little area had become, the young woman had declined and opted to sit alone a few tables over.

"I heard you were in Xing a little while back." She blinked at Havoc's question.

"Yes," she nodded. "My parents and I spent quite a few months there." Her thumbs tapped against her legs from under the table, attempting to think of noteworthy things to say. "It's was such a unique place, I really wouldn't mind going back." She paused once more. "But . . . I missed my brother and sisters quite a bit. It wasn't truly a vacation without them."

The young man, Fuery, tilted his head at her. "Sisters? As in more than just Major General Armstrong."

Catherine couldn't help but giggle at the nervousness of the question. She guessed that her eldest sister had made quite an impression with Central during her stay. "I have three sisters in total. Olivier is the eldest, Amue is the second, and Strongine is the third." A warm smile drifted onto her face at the remembrance of each sibling. Even Olivier, with her cold exterior, gave a feeling of happiness. "Alex and I are the last two to be born in my family."

"Hm," Havoc, absentminded, rubbed at his unshaven chin. "Your sisters, Amue and Strongine, what are they like?"

There was a pause as Catherine tapped her shoes against the concrete pavement.

"Well, Amue is rather . . . willful and restless . . . but also compassionate. I think, growing up at least, Olivier liked her the most." Though she knew that wasn't saying much. "She likes to travel around a lot, now that she's of age. So I don't really get to see her for more than a couple times a year." There really wasn't much to say about Amue in her eyes who, other than the eldest, was gone too long to really put detailed description on. "Strongine, however, is a bit more like Alex as far as personality goes." Unbeknownst to the others, the third eldest was more than just similar internally. "She's kind and bold and . . . well . . . just a very good sister." She stopped to look down. "I was really sad when she decided to leave."

"Was there a reason that she left?" Hawkeye, though sympathetic, did not easily show it.

Catherine chuckled at the thought, her lips spreading out onto her face. "Well, she wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend." For a moment she wondered if any of the three soldiers knew Strongine's beau. Mother did mention that he had been in the military, as well as present during the Promised Day. Then again, so had a lot of people. "What about you all? I mean, how has everything been since . . ."

There was a heavy feeling in the air lingering after her question. Not necessarily a bad one, just an uncomfortable one. "Busy," Havoc admitted. "Just very busy."

Catherine couldn't help but notice the uneasiness in his voice. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her own brother sounded that way more often then she would like.

. . .

"Are you sure you want to go home?" With a wave of her hand, the blonde bid her final goodbyes to the small group behind her. The whole thing was quite short but she had no clue how long they had intended to stay out and the last thing she wanted to do was force them to spend more time with her then they anticipated.

"Yes," Catherine said with a nod. "I didn't intend to stay out so long anyways." Nor did she intend to talk to people, two of which being near-strangers, for more than a few minutes.

The young servant nodded curtly and turned to lead them back home. No words were exchanged during their little journey, leaving Catherine to ponder her little encounter. Part of her had wanted to ask them about her brother seeing as they seemed to be around him more often she was these days.

But in the end she didn't. Instead she settled for a more casual conversation, one that avoided the topic of their job altogether. For despite the fact that they had won, with greatest evil in this country defeated, there were still some remnants of worry in the demeanors.


End file.
